Hot Tubbin' for Leadership: GGCLC - Application and Interview

The Governor General's Canadian Leadership Conference (GGCLC) rolls around every four years. It's an event where 230 people from across the country from labour, government, business, non-profit and education sectors get together and talk about the future of our country. This year's theme is community sustainability where delegates will look at issues facing Canadian society from environmental, social, cultural, and economic sustainabilities. I am genuinely interested in the theme of the conference - At the Learning Centre, I support the work of my colleagues who do community engagement but my role is passive, not active. I have learned so much from each of my colleagues and the various partners that they work with and given the chance, I would have a lot to contribute to this conference. Everyone meets in Halifax for the opening plenary and then are put into study groups of 16 and as a group, they travel to a different province/territory (it cannot be the province/territory where you are from) meet with people from different communities and then reunite in Ottawa where presentations are made to the whole delegation and the Governor General. 

Ideal applicants apply through their respective sectors, usually mid-career and are expected to take on a leadership role in the next 8-10 years. So why did I apply? I'm pretty new to union activism and I'm newish to UBC (just over 4 years in) but my president encouraged me to apply anyway and I actually thought it would be a great way to prepare for the next conference in 2016. I might as well throw my hat in the ring and see what happens.

A few months go by and then I get an email from the Canadian Labour Congress looking to set up an interview during the CUPE National Convention. I wasn't really sure what to expect but I knew my competition would be stiff especially knowing one of the candidates from CUPE BC who has been around doing this union stuff a lot longer than me and is quite high up on the proverbial food chain. 

It was really inspiring to be interviewed by two women from the CLC. They asked questions about my experience in the labour movement and asked for examples of initiative and examples of how I've dealt with delivering challenging information. I pulled from experience as an executive committee member at 2950, a contract committee member, my volunteer experiences at the Vancouer Aquarium and Marine Mammal Rescue Centre and my ESL days. During the interview I found my groove and I felt confident, I think I articulated myself well, I was on my game and halfway through the interview I realized I really wanted to be a part of this and that I had just as much to offer as any other applicant. It was then I really realized that I found my place in this world and that more than anything I was committed to and passionate about the labour movement and would take advantage of the opportunity to grow and build relationships with people from other sectors. I found my groove and left the interview knowing that I put forward the best written and in-person application I could have. And then it was time to wait - they told me up front that if I didn't get in, that I should definitely apply next time and that I am an ideal candidate for the CLC's Labour College Program (it's too expensive for the local to take sponsor so I crossed my fingers and hoped that I would get into the GGCLC - talk about putting all of your eggs in one basket!). They were going to be taking 12 people and 25 applied. I had no idea what my chances were but there wasn't much else I could have done, no regrets. And we play the waiting game...

Four weeks later I get a letter in the mail. I'm in! YAY! I'm really proud of myself and I called my parents right away, texted the president of the local and then let my best friends know. It was the validation I needed because being an activist is a thankless job and takes up a lot of time. It's a lot of unpaid hours (which is part of the deal) and to have the opportunity to be a part of this makes it all worth it because I know that having us participate will only move the labour movement forward, improving things for working people in this country.

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